The Hunger Games Book Series in Order: Complete Author Guide

The Hunger Games Book Series in Order: Complete Author Guide

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The Hunger Games books in order to read and enjoy them fully is something anyone new to the Suzanne Collins book series considers. This best selling series is a dystopian series that is so full of action and adventure. The reading order of The Hunger Games books is actually pretty straightforward. So get set to discover this incredible world of The Hunger Games books in order!

the hunger games books in order

Last Updated: April 22, 2024

The Hunger Games Books in Order

1. Book 1: The Hunger Games (2008)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The first novel in the worldwide bestselling The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins!

Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . . In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.


2. Book 2: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2009)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

This is the second novel in the Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins.


3. Book 3: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (2010)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

Mockingjay is the third novel in The Hunger Games book series by Suzanne Collins.


4. Book 0: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the epic The Hunger Games book series by Suzanne Collins that is best read after the first three books in the series.


About Suzanne Collins

suzanne collins

Suzanne Collins has had a successful and prolific career writing for children's television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains It All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. Collins made her mark in children's literature with the New York Times bestselling five-book series for middle-grade readers The Underland Chronicles, which has received numerous accolades in both the United States and abroad. In the award-winning The Hunger Games trilogy, Collins continues to explore the effects of war and violence on those coming of age. Collins lives with her family in Connecticut.


The Hunger Games Bibliography (4 Book Series)

  1. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games Book 1)

  2. Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Book 2)

  3. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Book 3)

  4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games Book 0)


The Hunger Games BOOKS IN ORDER

The Hunger Games books in order of publication is the correct way to read Suzanne Collins’ fantasy series, but it is entirely up to the reader. Reading the prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is best after finishing the original trilogy, as there will be spoilers and some things that might not make sense without previous knowledge. If you are a fan of the series, I highly suggest watching the film adaptations of The Hunger Games series as well. This action-packed series will bring out all sorts of emotions. May the odds be ever in your favor!

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Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.

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